1947 Disaster Memorial Ceremony to be held on Saturday

TEXAS CITY, TX – This Saturday, April 12, the City of Texas City will hold a 1947 Disaster Memorial
Ceremony at the Showboat Pavilion (416 6th St. N.). The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a
group photo of all 1947 Disaster survivors in attendance. Afterwards at 11 a.m., there will be a
memorial ceremony, along with a bell ringing ceremony and a memorial roll call of the names of the
27 Texas City firefighters who lost their lives that day while responding to the explosion.
Also on Saturday, the Texas City Museum will feature a special exhibit on the 1947 Disaster, and
admission to the museum will be free for all guests throughout the day (museum’s hours of
operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
The 1947 Texas City Disaster occurred on April 16, 1947 in the port of Texas City, when cargo on the
SS Grandcamp caught on fire. The ammonium nitrate onboard detonated at 9:12 a.m., rupturing
the ship and sending the cargo 2,000 to 3,000 feet into the air.
At 1:10 am on April 17, only fifteen hours after the explosion of the Grandcamp, a second ship, the
High Flyer, also caught fire and exploded, killing at least two people and causing further damage to
the port area.
The blast from the Grandcamp caused a 15-foot tidal wave that crashed onto the dock and flooded
the surrounding area. Windows were shattered as far away as in Houston, and people in Louisiana
felt the shock, more than 250 miles away.
Most of the buildings closest to the blast were flattened, and many more had doors and roofs
blown off. The Monsanto plant, only three hundred feet away, was destroyed by the blast.
Hundreds of employees, pedestrians and bystanders were killed, including all but one member of
Texas City’s volunteer fire department. Thousands were wounded. It was the deadliest industrial
accident in U.S. history.
To commemorate the anniversary of the disaster, on Wednesday, April 16, the City of Texas City
will share survivor’s stories, highlight local historical resources available at Moore Memorial Library
and the Texas City Museum, and post videos on social media throughout the day.
For more information, visit the City of Texas City’s website at www.texascitytx.gov.